Posted By: Dave Daveofferson (12/08/2008 10:51:32 AM)
Comment: I wish you would all stop complaining. It's obvious the team needs to sacrifice the future for a mediocre season now that saves Nolan's job. I love this team and don't miss Eddie D. one bit!

Posted By: xl (12/08/2008 9:04:17 AM)
Comment: this is a joke....JTO is 29 yrs old and has played 5 games, career stats(not avg, this is his TOTAL stats)are 13/26 for 148 yrd 1 TD 2 INT 3 Sacks, 3 fumbles and 1 lost...basically thats a poor mans alex smith with no future, no upside. the only thing JTO has on smith is that he learned Martz's offense last year

Posted By: sandip (12/08/2008 8:51:50 AM)
Comment: Aww fudge I got the CLAP.

Posted By: shobbrobb (12/08/2008 8:42:53 AM)
Comment: JON.with our QB situation as bad as it is why is it that you and other people suggest to draft a late round QB?,To draft a late round QB suggest a low priority on the position.Looking at this as it is do u think this situation should be a low priority.Reality is something we all have to come to.Our Qb situation is horrible

Posted By: BOI49er (12/08/2008 8:35:34 AM)
Comment: Matt, the one thing this blog has told us, if it's at all representative of the fans in general, is that it's time you stop crossing out your quarterback "controversy" and replacing it with "competition". You play in reality, and need give no consideration to Nolan's fantasy world.

Posted By: jim (12/08/2008 8:30:22 AM)
Comment: Alex is getting screwed. JT is getting 3 times as many reps with the first team as Smith.All things are supposed to be equal, from the stand point that there is no clear cut starter. Nolan has it in for Smith.

Posted By: Jon in Socal (12/08/2008 8:28:39 AM)
Comment: The jury is still out with our draft, but our top 2 draft picks are backups. I don't see Balmer pushing Soap out - he is still playing with his pads too high - a complaint that caused him to drop in the draft. Rachal is doind OK, but isn't going to beat out Wragge, let alone Baas. Wallace is struggling a bit, and was drafted a bit high. With the obvious hit or miss aspects with QB's, it would have been smart to draft a QB in the late rounds to develop...after all, we went through 5 of them last year. There isn't anyone out there who would rather have Booty, Ainge or Dixon in the QB mix instead of Wallace.

Posted By: LodiGrapePicker (12/08/2008 7:39:32 AM)
Comment: With all the disagreement, it seems that we all agree on one thing....Nolan sucks, and should not be head coach.

Posted By: mike in MD (12/08/2008 7:24:23 AM)
Comment: archie..that looks about right. How a 5-11 team gets this schedule is freakin' BRUTAL! I hate saying this but AZ is much more stabile & consistent at this point. Their QB situation (though will be a controversy all year long if Leinart doesn't perform) kicks our a** in where there at with a solid insurance policy in Warner. I believe they're in the 2nd year in a row with their OC. Their HC & OL Coach SOUNDLY beats ours. And this is the killer >> the players have bought into & believe in what Whisenhunt is selling them. He's a REAL HEAD COACH who has genuine smarts & can develop his players. In our case I think Nolan is losing a lot of credibility especially with the younger 2nd & 3rd year players. It seems like there's a drop-off in team energy with Nolan in charge. IMO what's carrying our team is Martz & Manusky/Singletary. That's what's mainly holding our players together. It's 50/50 in our opener with AZ because our D will be up to the challenge. I do have faith that Martz will shape up our Offense. But AZ is so much more ahead of us in the HC/OL/OC stability department it's depressing. Still I will always back my Niners. Let's see what we've got come the 4th preseason game. On the positive..correct me if I'm wrong but was there only 1 false start penalty in the Oakland game? Even though we looked shaky I felt much more confident with Martz running the show than Hostler. MM will get it together.

Posted By: oneniner (12/08/2008 7:13:02 AM)
Comment: THe ONE thing about A. Smith is that = He is very young and we all know there is a huge chance he becomes a top nfl QB in the future (i.e favre, young), the problem is another team will reap the rewards if we let him go. The best thing going for him is his age.

Posted By: Rob (12/08/2008 7:11:34 AM)
Comment: Nolan is in a position where he needs to win every game that is played when the regular season starts. Why should he start Smith from day one even if he projects Smith to be better at some point down the line? If and when Smith (or Hill) passes JTO in terms of giving the team a better chance of winning a game in a given week, then a change will be made, but until then, since JTO knows the office better, and gives Nolan the best chance to win, he will remain the starter.

Posted By: Kelseyville9er (12/08/2008 7:07:46 AM)
Comment: So if we're going with O'Sullivan, then we need to dump Smith and his $. Hopefully Smith lands on his feet, Nolan sure did screw Smith's career. Again, if we're reloading at the QB position w/ Sully then why not grab some young guns to groom? We could go with Sully, Wright and 1 or 2 more guys (put 1 on the practice squad). What would that kind of move hurt? Nothing. It would give those 2 or 3 guys (Wright and whomever) a season or two to learn the system and show Martz what they've got. Funny how Nolan came in and got rid of Rattay and Dorsey, let Pickett go...and now it seems he's on the verge of doing the same thing with Smith and Hill. We cannot keep Hill as a #3 with that salary and definitely cannot keep Smith as a #2 with his salary. Just an awful example of poor scouting and evaluation of talent by Nolan and Co.

Posted By: prospector (12/08/2008 6:54:14 AM)
Comment: Frank: JTO already has had twice the number of reps with the ones that the other 2 QBS have had. And how is more reps wih the ones going to help JTO cut down on turnovers---when he supposedly already is familiar with the offense---and not going to help Smith improve his timing on passes. Shouldn't we be giving Smith more reps with the ones to give him a chance to improve his timing? Or do we not want to give an equal look at the #1 draft pick and the journeyman who has been no higher than 3rd string on 9 teams in 6 years. This is a freaking circus.

Posted By: Houston 9er (12/08/2008 6:52:19 AM)
Comment: IMHO the thought of grooming Smith for a year under JTO to learn the Martz offense is asanine. AS is a 4th year player and the #1 pick of the draft. If he can't produce with a so called qb genius or beat out a 6th year 3rd stringer then he's a complete and total bust. The time for Smith is now. Not next year.

Posted By: Houston 9er (12/08/2008 6:49:05 AM)
Comment: Something stinks in Denmark. This coach created qb controversy is turning out to be a huge pile of crap. If a career backup is beating out a #1 pick then McNolan wasted over $20M on a horrible pick. Is Martz possibly trying to sabotage Nolan to get his job? Or is Martz so incredibly arrogant he wants to prove he can do well with any scrub ala Kitna/Warner. No matter how this comes out its been mishandled to this point. The only way Nolan saves his job is with a playoff appearance.

Posted By: P from SF (12/08/2008 6:48:35 AM)
Comment: I agree with TDilvr. If Nolan announces JTO the starter, but expresses confidence in Alex Smith, grooming him with the new offense, keeps Martz around after this season, then let AS get it in next year or later this year, that would be a good scenario. Unfortunately, everything is in the air because of how long Nolan has been here. He has to win this year and that's the only focus, he can't look into the future like he could his 1st year out. He royally screwed Alex Smith by not letting him sit while developing an established offense that he could learn and understand. Then come in his 2nd year and be better off. Ah well, I am pretty much done, I'm just gonna go with the motions and hope for the best. Niners till I keel over baby.

Posted By: oneniner (12/08/2008 6:48:23 AM)
Comment: TDilvr - I kinda agree with you, If they believe A.Smith is our future, then let him seat, watch and learn the offense..... Frank - is right...it is Martz running the show, he his responsible for the offense. Nolan is a lame duck coach, nuthin he says or does makes any sense...

Posted By: LodiGrapePicker (12/08/2008 6:37:41 AM)
Comment: JTO may turn out to be better then Smith, who has never really has been impressive. Nolan-Martz has not announced the starter yet, so it is not the end for Smith as a Niner. Personally, I never thought Smith should have been picked #1. Remember why Nolan chose Smith over Rogers??....It was simply because Smith did not question Nolan when he asked them each to perform several "silly" passing drills. Rogers had the intelligence to question Nolan. Too bad nobody in the Niner organization had that foresight.

Posted By: THe Right Guy (12/08/2008 6:26:56 AM)
Comment: It will be great to watch the success of Aaron Rogers. He had three years to learn the offense under a great QB. Smith had no such fortune and will soon be free to move on and have success with another organization. The 9ers have done a great job of providing no mentor, no receives, a horrid offensive line (last year) and 4 different offensive coordinators. Now we are stuck with a QB that was draft by New Orleans in the 6th round, played for the Packers, Bears, Vikings, Pats, Panthers and Lions. None of these teams thought highly of him to retain his talent accept Mike Martz. When Martz is one and done we will be left with JTO as our future.

Posted By: Indiana Jim Randy in Santa Rosa Oneniner Mike Nolan Ghost of Heath Ledger (12/08/2008 6:19:12 AM)
Comment: MATT DAMON!

Posted By: Indiana Jim Randy in Santa Rosa Oneniner Mike Nolan Ghost of Heath Ledger (12/08/2008 6:18:41 AM)
Comment: Um... Brett Favre?

Posted By: Traj (11/08/2008 11:49:37 PM)
Comment: Smith's failure falls squarely on the shoulders of both Nolan and McCloughan for not at least keeping some stability: whether it be a getting a capable veteran backup QB, QB coach (if not an Off. Coordinator), reliable receivers, and solid offensive line for protection. Alex had none of these even after his old college coach himself, Urban Meyer, had stated ""It's going to be interesting in San Francisco," Meyer said. "Alex is an extremely quick learner. However, he's a guy that, until he understands it, he is nonfunctional. He is a guy that -- I keep hearing how Brett Favre kind of makes something out of nothing and is a person that runs around to make a play -- Alex Smith is not that kind of player. Alex Smith is a person that, once he is taught, has to learn it all. He might struggle early, but once he gets it, he gets it." This was in 2005 - has anything the organization done helped Alex's cause? I am not upset as an Alex Smith fan as I had prefered the Niners spend that #1 pick on something other than a QB, but more as a Niner fan who knows the pick is a waste because of how that player is being handled. It's a damn shame. Traj.

Posted By: archie (11/08/2008 11:48:06 PM)
Comment: is it just me or does it look like the niners might go 1-7 before the bye? (the one win would be between arizona and detroit...i don't think they could beat both teams)...i know it's just game 1 of the preseason but i'm definitely not seeing much promise...:-\

Posted By: TDilvr (11/08/2008 11:36:02 PM)
Comment: I still believe AS has much more upside than JT or Hill. That said, I'm okay with JT starting and playing. I'm okay with JT starting all year long while AS actually learns an offense for an entire year before he's thrown into the fire. This is what should have happened back in 2005. AS deserves a flippin do-over after the BS Nolan has put him through.

Posted By: Medford (11/08/2008 11:33:19 PM)
Comment: Yeah but what u forgot to mention Matt is that we will only win about 3 to 4 games with JT Ofumble as r QB he looked like a robot out there Friday night. BOO to the once great Niner team this season looks to be over with before it even started. Nolan is such a liar he hates Alex Smith and does not want to play him anymore he said all Qb's would be able to start preseason games but now that looks to be not true. HOW CAN YOU GIVE A QB THE STARTING JOB WHEN HE LOOKS LIKE GARBAGE AND FUMBLES AND THROWS INT'S AND BACKWARDS PASSES IM VERY CONFUSED!!!!

Posted By: ska (11/08/2008 11:26:17 PM)
Comment: This must be what the Rams fans sounded like when Warner took over after Trent Green got hurt. And his creds were less than JTO's. Look JTO could turn out to be a perfectly suitable QB for this team. And A. Smith just might click with this offense in the very near future and between the two of them I think we will be fine at that position. I am MUCH MUCH MUCH more concerned with our offensive line and WRs. The top WR's are hardly playing. I am very encouraged by Josh Morgan lets hope he is the man. The line needs to get it together. If they don't . . . all of this other discussion is pointless. No QB is any goos when they are constantly running for their life and not having the time to let the play develop.

Posted By: shobbrobb (11/08/2008 11:20:52 PM)
Comment: Im glad alot of u are takin a more realistic view.All u have do is call it like it is,we have 3 backup QB's that we have 2 rally behind until the GM or someone else wakes up.There is some hope in that Jed York has some his uncle in him and he demands excellence

Posted By: http:// (11/08/2008 11:02:44 PM)
Comment: After what Nolan's put this franchise through he's caused this Organization for whoever's in charge to DRAFT ALL QB'S IN NEXT YEAR'S DRAFT. WTH..ALSO BUY EVERY FA QB AVAILABLE. We should be able to find a starting franchise QB in there somehow right?????? Seriously dropping the ball on the most crucial & important position on the team without being able to surround him with pieces to succeed with the correct mentors/coaching & knowing what system your going to run prior to choosing your QB to match that system is sorry, pitiful, & embarrassing. Until we get an Offensive coach in here who knows what the f*** their doing I suggest we pull a Gruden & get 5 QB's on the roster. How the hell can you drop the ball on the position that makes this entire team click?? This sucks. But it is what it is right now. MM's offense is complicated & will take @ least to the end of preseason for it to come together. Smith is struggling & JTO is the starter for now. So Nolan quit the BS & say it already & give the guy all the reps so he can get ready for the opener.

Posted By: shobbrobb (11/08/2008 11:01:54 PM)
Comment: Hey guys in next years draft if Micheal Crabtree is available when we draft do we take him,the best available OL or DL

Posted By: Realfan49 (11/08/2008 10:58:14 PM)
Comment: Excellent post Frank. I think we all sometimes confuse who is ultimately accountable for the team's poor performance (Mike Nolan) with the cause of the poor performance. Two different things.

Posted By: ninerbob (11/08/2008 10:58:01 PM)
Comment: Why did Chicago reject JTO twice?

Posted By: shobbrobb (11/08/2008 10:57:19 PM)
Comment: RANDY ur brilliant!........I do think Jake Plummer could be the answer to our problems,but this organization has no vision.Jake has the skills and would thrive in this offense,plus he could be had for late round pick like a 5th round choice.i would luv to see what M,Martz could do with a QB with talent

Posted By: Frank (11/08/2008 10:53:25 PM)
Comment: It's amazing how many continue to blame Nolan for the team's offensive ineptness. It's Martz' offense now...and it's the players who have to "get it". Until they do, they'll struggle. Alex hasn't done anything to distinguish himself from the others. He's still taking too long to deliver the ball...he's still not leading receivers like he should. The other two aren't setting the world on fire, either, but JTO clearly has the best grasp of the offense. He needs to cut down on his turnovers, too. That'll come with more reps with the ones. That's probably why he's getting the majority of that work. Instead of continuing to blame Nolan, look at this objectively...the offense is a work in progress. I know everyone's tired of hearing that, but it's true. That's just the way it is...slamming Nolan is just convenient to vent your frustration. But, he's not the cause of them floundering.

Posted By: SunsetDistrict (11/08/2008 10:52:07 PM)
Comment: So many Alex Smith supporters here. Must be the water up there in bland ol' Santa Rosa. Hey, as much as I hate Smith, it would be kind of fitting to see the dilwad go up against Rogers this weekend. Man, what a public shaming it would be. Rogers put up 117 yards and a TD tonight in the Packers' win. Alexia will never get those numbers.

Posted By: http:// (11/08/2008 10:51:00 PM)
Comment: smith looked better? what game were you watching, o'sullivan looked real good, minus a few passes and hill looked good too, minus some dropped passes and recievers not wathcing

Posted By: SF_Dan (11/08/2008 10:33:54 PM)
Comment: Alex Smith threw 5 picks today and was noted as throwing the worst pass of the day. This is a common theme.

Posted By: Boomer (11/08/2008 10:14:23 PM)
Comment: How exactly is JTO "getting it done"?? Smith was the guy who played best on Friday.

Posted By: Randy (11/08/2008 10:06:07 PM)
Comment: Matt, Any interest in Culpepper? Think they could talk Jake Plummer out of retirement? Could it be any worse than the three stoges in there now? Is this Nolan run team the most pathetic thing you have ever seen from a pro sports team? I want my dynasty back!!! This is like a cruel joke.

Posted By: SF_Dan (11/08/2008 10:04:55 PM)
Comment: Morale will not be low if the guy getting the job done is put out there. Nolan is doing that.

Posted By: ska (11/08/2008 10:04:37 PM)
Comment: And by the way all of you that keep bringing up that JTO fumbled. . . well correct me if I am wrong but I seem to remember Smith having a bit of a fumbling problem. Don't get me wrong turnovers can't be tolerated . . . I am just saying if we are going to pick a QB based on who is likely to turn it over more well JTO has to fumble it a lot more before I believe it is as much of a problem as Smith's.

Posted By: riq roq (11/08/2008 10:02:39 PM)
Comment: Nolan is starting to piss me off. He is still mad at smith and he brought martz into it. get over it nolan. smith needs those 1st team reps with some confidence. JT aint the dude.

Posted By: ninerindallas (11/08/2008 10:00:57 PM)
Comment: ok look people, it's been something like 10 months since alex smith played in a game right, and since then one of the league's most complex and demanding offense system has been installed by a coach known as "mad mike". JTO has a year of schoolin' and i think he got in some playing time towrds the end of last year {not exactly sure on that though}. and we all know that shaun hill had few decent games under tollner's play calling. now after the 1st preseason game JTO and hill both look disgusting while commiting turn overs, smith while look very rusty and unsure with reads, while cmooiting no turn overs and leading the team to points {albeit off the foot of a kicker}. lets not forget the starting receivers didn't even play and there was virtually no running game for the raiders to fear { and are the raiders not one of the top passing defense in the entire leegue anyways}. my point is this...Alex WILL come around it may be 2 or 3 games into the season, but he will be the starter by the end of preseason. JTO will be 2nd stringer, while hill gets to sit at home and rest that sore arm of his.....there ya go, now stop freaking out, like a bunch of french surrender monkeys

Posted By: LodiGrapePicker (11/08/2008 10:00:48 PM)
Comment: I think it is too early to write off JTO, but in not giving Smith the reps he needs, he will fall further and further behind. I just want the best (or the least worse) QB to start the season. Nolan sure seems to be making a mess of things. I can't imagine how low morale must be getting among the team.

Posted By: ska (11/08/2008 9:57:27 PM)
Comment: People on here are soooo funny. Everyone knows more than the coaches. Rodgers hasn't even done a thing and its already oh the 49ers took the wrong guy. Its too late for A. Smith, the damage is done. Hilarious, a bunch of doomsayers. THE TRUTH the people on this blog, myself included KNOW NOTHING. So lets just see how this plays out. There is no way JTO can get this job done . . . but if he does the coaches will go back to being brilliant. I do have one question Matt should ask Nolan . .. just last week it was a 3 way competition and the No 1 reps were going to be split between the 3. 15 practices left. . . 5 reps each . . .remember that? What happened to that? The fact that they are not doing this has to mean SOMETHING doesn't in Nolan?

Posted By: ska (11/08/2008 9:57:15 PM)
Comment: People on here are soooo funny. Everyone knows more than the coaches. Rodgers hasn't even done a thing and its already oh the 49ers took the wrong guy. Its too late for A. Smith, the damage is done. Hilarious, a bunch of doomsayers. THE TRUTH the people on this blog, myself included KNOW NOTHING. So lets just see how this plays out. There is no way JTO can get this job done . . . but if he does the coaches will go back to being brilliant. I do have one question Matt should ask Nolan . .. just last week it was a 3 way competition and the No 1 reps were going to be split between the 3. 15 practices left. . . 5 reps each . . .remember that? What happened to that? The fact that they are not doing this has to mean SOMETHING doesn't in Nolan?

Posted By: SF_Dan (11/08/2008 9:54:29 PM)
Comment: JTO is terrible. You know how I know this - I saw him play for a whole 4 series. Forget the nice throws, the accuracy, the ability to lead a receiver to the spot, the fact that Martz/Nolan/Beat writers/those in the know continue to say he looks the best of all the QB's EVERY DAY, and that Smith looks lost out there. He threw an pick. I saw that pick with my own two eyes and so he must suck. No way should he be the niners QB - he threw a pick and then got stripped scrambling. Run him out of town. You guys crack me up. Smith is not the guy. Get over it. If your boy Smith wa the guy - so smart - so talented - so athletic - all he has to do is win the job. And everyone that reports on the niners is saying he ain't doing that. Smith has no one to blame but himself. His inability to lead this team is to JTO's gain who is making the most of his oppotunity. God forbid he ever throw a pick again - he might be the worst QB EVER then. No one in the NFL ever throws picks. Smart fans.

Posted By: ninerbob (11/08/2008 9:45:19 PM)
Comment: This is gettng old. JTO did not look good on Friday and I can't imagine he will have the tools to be better than Hill or Smith have showed us. Smith is gonna be sitting on the bench on Saturday while Rodgers is getting a chance to show how good he can be. Did the Niners make the wrong choice bcecause both QB's seem like they are in a different place? These are going to be the comparisons that will be made this week. ESPN will love to do this because they seem bent on wanting Rodgers to appear to be a feel good story. They are going to love to say the 49ers took the wrong guy. Could you imgine Rodger trying to succeed with the Niners? Alex has never seen what success in the NFL looks like. So Rodgers went to an ideal situation (Favre drama aside): stability, solid veterans, and time to learn it. I am not going to defend Alex and say he would have been great if he had gone to the Packers, but I will say that we really haven't done much to help him succed. The biggest thing would have been to provide the stabiltiy of a system that he could master. Now he isn't even getting reps in practice. Alex is probably to far gone now; its like a kid having bad parents...some kids are cursed with parents destin to put them on a path to prison. Alex has been screwed over by Nolan's management of this team; he is damaged goods. I hope this team does not get another QB until Nolan is gone.

Posted By: Mike in Marin (11/08/2008 9:39:43 PM)
Comment: We have been blessed with a moron for a HC. Nolan is nothing more than a positive attitude here in SF. He is a clown in a suit who talked the talk and didnt walk the walk. How could tou let your offense have to learn 4 systems in 4 years. Not to mention his bad personnel decisions, gameday decisions(field goals and 4th down blunders and his boring interviews that all sound the same). Last year I heard him saying Hostler was doing an outstanding job, I had to laugh and then started to cry. This is all way above this guys head. He obviously cant handle it and needs to be cut loose. The longer he stays the further we will sink!

Posted By: Jon in Socal (11/08/2008 9:28:02 PM)
Comment: My therapist tells me I have to let go with this Nolan thing. I am supposed to sit back and just see what happens. Has anyone ever seen this at another team? I am just wondering if we feel this way because it's our team and it happens all the time, or if we've been blessed with a unique experience

Posted By: P from SF (11/08/2008 9:14:10 PM)
Comment: Yea, why isn't Alex Smith like Aaron Rodgers! It's not like Alex wasn't learning 1st hand from the greatest qb currently playing, or didn't get to sit the bench for 3 years and learn an offense that has been with the team for 15 years. NO NOT AT ALL! O wait...I wish I could feed you alex haters to the same wolves that he was fed to his rookie year.

Posted By: um what? (11/08/2008 9:01:21 PM)
Comment: 49er realist - smith has been a starter for 3 years? um what? I though he was hurt most of last season and didnt start a game until the middle of his first year and this is his 4th year with another new offense, we need more realists thanks bud

Posted By: YoPaulie415 (11/08/2008 8:58:27 PM)
Comment: Clearly Nolan is panicking.He is probably going with JTO because he is the QB who gives him the most security on offense.Never mind his iffy performance against the Raiders (pre-season game by the way) the fact of the matter is JTO knows Mike Martz's offense,Nolan brought Martz in to resusitate the niners offense,and maybe rescue his head coaching job in the process.It's so obvious now that Martz will not adjust his system to fit any particular QB ,he make them adjust to his philosophies and clearly JTO has got two legs up on Hill and Smith.So yeah Fan's in Ninerland let's get ready to back another mediocre QB in oh'Sullivan because there's probably no way Hill or smith will get this offense down in time,and 8 and 8 will probably save Nolan's job to.

Posted By: A Smithhomer (11/08/2008 8:57:44 PM)
Comment: Wow, looks like Nolan didn't even see this coming (not suprising I guess). http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d809f1126

Posted By: Frank (11/08/2008 8:55:40 PM)
Comment: Rich in San Ramon, you make a real good point. I am a Smith supporter but I think it is clear none of the QBs have established themselves or grabbed the starters' posiition. JT, probably because of his one year in the Martz system is slightly ahead. And Smith's lack of timing, lack of mastery, and repeated throwing behind the receivers has rather strongly indicated he is not ready. I do not think it is the worst thing, for the team or the players, that JT start unless and until Smith clearly beats him out. There are many indications that Smith needs time to master a system before he is comfortable in it. So a year of him watching, as Rodgers was able to watch in GB, might be very good for him. Lastly, the Smith haters really show how completely b iased they are. The fact is, the 3 QBs have shown themselves to be about equal at the present time. To say Smith is a bust is just to show you are an emotionally driven, fact ignoring moron. You simply don't - in fact, you can't - know based on each QB playing for 1 1/3 quarter. And, especially for Smith, but even to a lesser exten for Hill, it is likely to be a year to know how well they have mastered the offense and how productive they are.

Posted By: Rob in Sac (11/08/2008 8:42:56 PM)
Comment: Here is what i get from today...Every opposing defense that faces this offense will look good. Watching Smith on Friday night, every ball was behind the receiver if not incomplete. Nolan should have made him line up and go for 6 instead of the chickensH*T field goal in a pre-season game. This is going to be another bad year.

Posted By: louie (11/08/2008 8:34:36 PM)
Comment: It's too early to panic (but very understandable). 1. Alex Smith looked pretty good when he was being coached by Norv Turner. Give him (and Martz) a little more time. Trent Dilfer, and a few other championship winning QBs were not great. But they were good enough brcause of defense. 2. If the front seven can gel enough before the season to stop the run, the 49ers will have an excellent defense this season. I'm not crazy enough to be predicting greatness for this team, but if they turned out good this year, it wouldn't be a big shock.

Posted By: Rich, DE (11/08/2008 8:33:15 PM)
Comment: Looks like they're leaning to JTO, but they're obviously not 100% certain. They want to get it right. What would happen if they named the starter tonight and then he went out and stunk up the place in the next two preseason games. Oops, made a mistake. Even worse, the other guy outperforms their named starter. Might be easier for them to name a starter after a convincing showing in a preseason game or after the majority of preseason is over - a couple of games from now.

Posted By: Ronnie - Fresno (11/08/2008 8:32:39 PM)
Comment: JTO is garbage. The boneheaded plays he made in the Raider game just show exactly why he isn't an NFL quarterback. So he makes plays in practice ... he knows the system. This QB debacle is completely and totally counterproductive. I have been a Nolan supporter all this time, but he is wrong, and he is going to cause real long-term damage with this game he is playing. Come on, just say it to yourself and tell me how it sounds. "JT O'Sullivan is starting at quarterback." Look at how excited we all got with Shaun Hill, and look at him now. Irrelevant. Alex is the guy we need to go with, and Mike Nolan needs to stop playing these ridiculous games and get him the time he needs with the first team to get him ready for the season.

Posted By: steveh (11/08/2008 8:23:21 PM)
Comment: hey matt, Matt B was on the radio dissing you today. I quote, "I'm the new and improved matt." oh snap.

Posted By: Jed (11/08/2008 8:20:57 PM)
Comment: Didn't Nolan pull a similar stunt in camp Alex's rookie year? "Alex gives us the best chance to win" speech, then Alex is benched for Rattay, then Rattay is not "on the same page," then Rattay is traded, etc. Same director, same lines, same movie.

Posted By: mbniner (11/08/2008 8:20:51 PM)
Comment: Matt,I was away and just watched the game on tape. For what it's worth, here are my observations: All three QBs were under a lot of pressure. Need better OL play. JTO looked good except for stupid decision on the pick. Quick release and accurate. Alex looked OK except he still is slow in reading and releasing ball. I wish he could have had more snaps but the fumble by the WR ended that option. Hill was OK in running offense and quickly releasing the ball, but his arm looked woefully weak. He looked better last year. Defense got pushed to easily on running plays. They better get that fixed. As for the QB derby, if Alex had stepped up and siezed the position, as you want your QB to do, we wouldn't be in this mess. Don't blame the coaches, blame Alex.

Posted By: Larry Dunham (11/08/2008 8:20:32 PM)
Comment: I was thinking at the time the Niners should have gone for Colt Brennan. (cheap>sixth round)I think I was right, cause his timing & complete package looked like a good vet in his Redskin debut. I was hoping for Matt Jones when Smith was drafted.

Posted By: The Ghost of Heath Ledger (11/08/2008 8:14:04 PM)
Comment: Hey A Smith homer were gonna need a reminder cause we havent seen any kind of "skills" in three fricken years!Watched Aaron Rodgers tonight and man you can just tell he is poised in the pocket and confident.And to think he WANTED TO BE A 49ER and we chose Alice!Which brings me to my next point,maybee Matt would care to elaborate on this.Why are Scott and Mike credited for drafting great talent?Are you kidding me?Lets take a look.Out of all their drafts the solid players we have are Frank Gore Patrick Willis and uh and uh yea exactly.Just shows how rotten this franchise is top to bottom!Oh yea add J Morgan to that list hes going to be a stud.This team has been run into the ground by Denise and Satan York.We aint getting a stadium we stink and this team wont exist in a couple years as it will be a team with a changed name playing in LA.You can bet on that.Well it was fun while it lasted.Go Chargers!

Posted By: shobbrobb (11/08/2008 8:09:48 PM)
Comment: This teams has had at least 28 draft picks over the last four years and many QBs have been available and all they come up with is Alex Smith,J.T.O'Sullivan,and Shaun Hill?This isnt just Mike Nolans fault,Do u mean to tell me that no one else saw this coming,hell my dumb ass saw it coming months ago,McCloughan is the so called GM so this falls in his lap,he passed on all those qb's in the last draft and all the free agents,now no ones left.we should have drafted Chad Henne and let him learn the offense this year,Next years QB draft class is not nearly as deep.This organization not only made a bad decision in not aquiring another QB,The idiots gave Alex Smith an extention!

Posted By: A Smith homer (11/08/2008 8:04:10 PM)
Comment: see link. A reminder of some of A. Smith's skills. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9QWoauEC4&feature=related

Posted By: 49er realist (11/08/2008 8:01:40 PM)
Comment: Alex has started for three years OSully has started in O.....You want to give Alex another shot after three years but right off OSullivan after one quarter of pre season?Yea that makes sense....Im not a supporter of any one QB just want the best guy in their and thats what were gonna get.Nolan is an idoit for the way hes doing it but he wants to keep his job so the best QB will be on the field gameday.Hes not going to give up his job over a grudge..stop it..Kurty Warner was released from the arena leagu so do nt judge Sully for doing the musical NFL chairs.Chill out.

Posted By: Rich, San Ramon (11/08/2008 8:00:00 PM)
Comment: Maybe Martz has concluded that Alex is on par with a rookie in so many ways that he's grooming Alex for 2009? Let Alex learn the system behind JTO in 2008, then take over next year. He'll only be 25 years old. Just because Niner ownershipm management, and fans are impatient with Smith's development does not mean that Martz has to be. I'm just sayin'...

Posted By: Randy in Santa Rosa (11/08/2008 7:47:03 PM)
Comment: Matt, Can you remove the bogus comment below posted by some dumbass under my name? This comment section is going downhill =( Just another reason to require a login before people post...

Posted By: Rich, DE (11/08/2008 7:43:46 PM)
Comment: The biggest factor for the organization is winning games. If JTO provides the Niners the best opportunity to win, then so be it; he's the starter. If it's Smith, then he's the starter. However, Smith may never turn out to be the guy they thought he could be, and they don't have time to wait for him to catch the bus. So, he better hop on board in a hurry.

Posted By: art e. sanchez (11/08/2008 7:25:59 PM)
Comment: i'm starting to believe that nolan suffers from a severe case of billechekitis. in baltimore there was never a clear cut starter at q.b. until steve mcnair came to town and that move didn't make them a perennial winner either. nolan' lack of commitment in chosing a starter is very alarming and does not bode well for the season. look for p. willis to lead the world in tackles because the defense will be on the field 80% of the time, and i have a sneaking suspicion that the q.b. musical chair tune will play throughout the season.

Posted By: MARCO from New York (11/08/2008 7:24:55 PM)
Comment: Bitter. Excellent points made! Only the stupidity and incompetence of John and Jed York could have allowed a TOTAL joke of a coach like Nolan return. As I said in January, watch the team on TV, but stay away from the park and do not renew season tickets. That is the only thing that gets through the thick skulls of John and Jed York. Stop being lemmings! This is a 4-12 season staring us in the face.

Posted By: bitter (11/08/2008 7:22:13 PM)
Comment: mark my post in your favorites so you can come back to this later in the season..... after about 4 games into the regular season... if JTO wins this competition he will never put on a better performance then he did last friday night... so putting the ball where it needs to be includes on the ground, in the hands of the defense, and backwards for a 4 yard loss, thank god he has a quick release

Posted By: Jason (11/08/2008 7:21:51 PM)
Comment: Sorry typed the wrong name. That should say 200:1 that he start Goldston...

Posted By: Jason (11/08/2008 7:20:45 PM)
Comment: OK, I've given up on the QB thing. Obviously Nolan has no clue. I am moving on to the starting free safety. Goldston is a playmaking ball hawk that hits big. Roman is an average safety who really provides no threat to the opposing team. I am going to place the number at 200:1 that Nolan starts Roman.

Posted By: SonocoNinerFan (11/08/2008 7:16:10 PM)
Comment: Hey Matt - You have another coward A-Hole posting with other users names. Go figure.

Posted By: SF_Dan (11/08/2008 7:16:06 PM)
Comment: All you Alex lovers are amazing. Stop with the JTO interception/fumble. That's why you fans and not involved in the game. JTO has a quicker release, puts the ball where it needs to be, leads the team, and is just as athletic. You dont think Nolan and Martz are evaluating this. Smith is struggling with his progressions, the short throw, and accuracy in general. He was a

Posted By: Jeremy (11/08/2008 7:15:40 PM)
Comment: shobbrobb's right, Alex SHOULD go to San Diego. Trade him for Billy Volek, hell...at least he can get a pass of without peeing his pants. (maybe that was a little over the top but you get the point) We need a real QB, not a 4th 2nd/3rd stringer...

Posted By: prospector (11/08/2008 7:13:19 PM)
Comment: This team is a complete and total mess. As said previously: JT O'Sullivan, 9 teams in 6 seasons, never higher than 3rd string. What an embarrassment.

Posted By: bitter (11/08/2008 7:08:34 PM)
Comment: This is horse-sh..! this QB "competition" is a complete farce!! Alex looked so much more poised in the game against oakland and he is supposed to know less about the offense then JTO, something is seriously up. Nolan has got to have a grudge against alex still because there is no way JTO is the better QB! He is supposed to know the system already so he has reached his potential in it i would think. Alex is still learning the system so imagine how much better he will be if he was receiving as many first team reps! I am pissed that it has gone down this path after smith dislocated his shoulder last year, you cant throw the ball with a dislocated shoulder! HE WON HIS FIRST TO GAMES LAST YEAR! when he was perfectly healthy, lost his 3rd against a very strong steeler team and was hurt on his 4th. The second half of 2006 he was startin to tear it up! What happened here?? Nolan is being so vendictive thats the only thing I can think of... did i miss something? I really hope smith starts the packer game.... come on

Posted By: #16 (11/08/2008 7:07:16 PM)
Comment: Hey, Moses - you took the words right out of my mouth! When I read Matt's description of Nolan's comments today, it came to me that Nolan now realizes the full implication of his decision to create a QB competition, and that implication is that if he starts JT and the Niners do poorly, he's collecting unemployment by x-mas. Starting Alex is his only insurance against another poor performance by the O.

Posted By: Larry Dunham (11/08/2008 7:03:22 PM)
Comment: My opinion is Nolan & Smith have to go. All they've done is b.s. & cash checks. (Both bad choices)

Posted By: shobbrobb (11/08/2008 7:03:03 PM)
Comment: Oh yeah,Nolan sucks too!

Posted By: hoss (11/08/2008 7:00:26 PM)
Comment: It looks like nolan is giving the job to JT, even tho he had 2 turnovers & almost a 3rd in the first preseason game. This "open competition" seems to be settled allready, when to me alex smith looked like hte best QB in the 1st preseason game. If i was hill i would be pissed - told it would be a open competition but it seems like its pretty much decided right now who the starting qb is, and hill is at #3. I was expecting smith to get most of hte #1 offense practice this week and start on saturdays game, but so far it looks like the coaches have allready decided. unless this is just some wierd test of smiths character, which would be pretty moronic, even for nolan.

Posted By: shobbrobb (11/08/2008 6:56:02 PM)
Comment: LMAO''''RANDY.....2 first round picks,at least make us think twice.The niners will get ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for Alex Smith,if they are to get rid of him he will probably go to the Chargers because he is familiar with Norv Turner that will be a most likely scenario for him to succeed.He will not be a starter for any team in the NFL

Posted By: Jed (11/08/2008 6:52:53 PM)
Comment: "The door's open to any player who makes us better." How about coaches? Nolan's failed motivation schemes are best left for high school coaches and junior high girls. If he thinks JTO can score more points for this team than Alex after 3+ years, the sole reason is Nolan's stubborn refusal to find schemes suited for players. Listen to NFL Network's Gil Brandt scout Alex on a KNBR podcast. NFL front office people have concluded that Nolan stinks, not Alex.

Posted By: LodiGrapePicker (11/08/2008 6:47:10 PM)
Comment: This crap that Nolan has pulled really makes me wonder why I still support this team. It certainly isn't because of the owners!

Posted By: Rob (11/08/2008 6:44:59 PM)
Comment: I don't think we should read into it just yet. We have only played one preseason game, Smith and Hill were getting ALL of the reps prior to July 30th, and Smith is catching up on the playbook.

Posted By: Larry Dunham (11/08/2008 6:40:55 PM)
Comment: JT has looked consistently the better QB, reading well, reading the D, throwing before the break. Smith continues to throw behind people, after the break/not reading what the defense gives, except for mostly little dink stuff. So what if he can scramble. Mike Vick can run fast, however too lacks any timing. (Another waste of money) Great current QB's like Peyton Manning & Tom Brady can't run, however, have great timing!!

Posted By: Moses (11/08/2008 6:39:42 PM)
Comment: I think the only signal Nolan has given is that he's panicked and he's likely to be fired at the end of the year by the man who was his #2. I seriously just don't believe we've got another Kurt Warner in JT O'Sullivan, else he'd have supplanted John "Turnover" Kitna in Detroit. I think he's been a disaster for Smith and he's continued to hang onto/hire poor offensive coaches too long. I'm sure if he gets another attempt, he'll get it together. But here... These training camp shennanigans at QB have left me cold...

Posted By: vince (11/08/2008 6:32:52 PM)
Comment: the defense doing better against our O is to be expected after facing the same offense and formations for the last two weeks. the D is just anticipating whats coming now. the real test is this saturday. also our starting wr's aren't playing so i wouldn't look too much into it.

Posted By: SS (11/08/2008 6:31:28 PM)
Comment: Matt, any word on how Antonio Bryant is doing this year?

Posted By: James Faulk (11/08/2008 6:30:29 PM)
Comment: From a fellow journalist, here's a question: Since the beginning of training camp, what's the total number of reps with the first team for each quarterback? Is it possible Nolan is simply trying to to let JT catch up on the total number of reps?

Posted By: 5Niner (11/08/2008 6:30:17 PM)
Comment: I think A.Smith will be decent in his career, but the reason he was drafted #1 is because Gruden punked Nolan into it showing all the interest in AS, which caused Nolan to pick AS over A-Rod. It liked how A. Lelie started playing after the Ravens said they thought he was a threat. Nolan can't think for himself so he's punked into making bad decision after bad decision. I guarantee we go for an insane 4th down play in the next preseason. Guarantee, followed by the insane explanation of why.

Posted By: shobbrobb (11/08/2008 6:29:38 PM)
Comment: Its clear that O'Sullivan is far ahead of the other guys,so at this point hes the man for the job,so if Alex Smith is as talented as his backers think he is he will grasp the offense and start ahead of O'Sullivan at some point,if he cant he's just not the man for the job.

Posted By: LodiGrapePicker (11/08/2008 6:28:12 PM)
Comment: Matt, earlier today you posted..."During the 11-on-11 sessions, the defense recorded five interceptions. " Was the defense really that good, or is it just that the offense sucks. In your opinion (and your opinion means a lot to us) which QB is looking the best? That may be a hard question to answer since Hill is not even touching a ball. Thanks.

Posted By: samr (11/08/2008 6:27:04 PM)
Comment: Hey, when I posted my update the blog deleted my lineout (--) through 7.5. Matt has an unfair advantage with his cute lineouts.

Posted By: SonocoNinerFan (11/08/2008 6:24:43 PM)
Comment: One more comment: Alex Smith is very bad and should be shown the door.

Posted By: samr (11/08/2008 6:24:40 PM)
Comment: UPDATE !! _ Matt the Guru: "So first-team reps in practice since July 30 have been divided as such: O'Sullivan: 7.5 8.5 Hill: 2.83 Smith: 2.67" NoBrainNolan: "If you have one guy and you know it, obviously, you give him about two-thirds of the reps and your (No. 2) gets the other ones," Nolan said. "But in our case, we don't (have an established starter), so we're going through the process."

Posted By: Cody Pickett (11/08/2008 6:23:55 PM)
Comment: If Alex Smith loses his job, then (inevitably) Mike Nolan also will lose his job, cuz Nolan was a big part of the decision to spend the #1 overall pick in the draft on Smith (rather than on, say, Braylon Edwards or Ronnie Brown) - The choice of Smith will accurately be seen as the first of many, many blunders & terrible decisions by Nolan.

Posted By: SonocoNinerFan (11/08/2008 6:23:03 PM)
Comment: Hey randomly anonymous . . . after what you saw last Friday you really think O'Sullivan has earned the #1? NOBODY distinguished themselves enough to call themself a #1 QB or earn ALL of the first team practice reps. This is shaping up as a cluster@#$% of biblical proportions. I wish the Olympics lasted until Christmas. But I won't read anything into this.

Posted By: jeremy (11/08/2008 6:22:11 PM)
Comment: I have been watching A. Smith for 3 years. This is why I am NOT suprised he is going to be benched. He sucks!

Posted By: speedy (11/08/2008 6:21:55 PM)
Comment: Hey everyone Coach Nolan is here but cleverly disguised himself as randomly vince!

Posted By: vince and oneniner (11/08/2008 6:18:57 PM)
Comment: I give Nolan and Niners credit. At least they are trying. Hiring Martz was very bold. Despite the monetary investments in Alice and Hill, they have the door open for O'Sullivan. They signed Justin Smith and Spikes and Bryant Johnson. They are active. One can't say that about the SF Giants or, especially, the A's.

Posted By: Nick (11/08/2008 6:13:50 PM)
Comment: Nolan is a tool.

Posted By: Randomly Vince (11/08/2008 6:12:32 PM)
Comment: Alex is the second coming of the QB Shame to Humanity (Grbac being the first coming). And, actually, Alex is way behind Grbac in value. Anyhow, as much as Alex just doesn't belong in the NFL, his girlfriend is HOT. One of the hottest women I have ever seen (on tv/internet or in person)!

Posted By: Indiana Jim (11/08/2008 6:12:27 PM)
Comment: Sandip - Clearly, sitting ON THE BENCH behind a HALL OF FAMER for THREE YEARS has its benefits............... I officially despise Mike Nolan, Mike Martz and J.T. O'Sullivan.

Posted By: dragon (11/08/2008 6:08:14 PM)
Comment: Matt, you were so sure Alex would be the starter. What's happening? Are the coaches going to throw a curve ball and name Alex the starter or can we assure ourselves they're locked on JTO? Do you still stand by what you originally said or are you as confused as us fans.

Posted By: sean (11/08/2008 6:07:18 PM)
Comment: I want alex to win this competition because i still believe he will be a better starter for this team in the present and future. but nolan is really throwing it out there and he admits alex was the wrong guy drafted. i remember when the team went to go work out smith brandon lloyd went with them and he had several complaints about alex's throws. maybe the coaches didnt put much thought into this because really who is going to respect brandon lloyds oppinion but you would think that mccarthy and nolan would have noticed that rodgers was the safter pick at that point. I dont know really but its insane how this coaching staff is looking for a quick fix to save nolans job this year and not looking for the future by starting osullivan

Posted By: Randomly Vince (11/08/2008 6:06:31 PM)
Comment: Stop your crying Vince -- It WAS an open competition and the meatball from the Community College of Utah failed.

Posted By: vince (11/08/2008 6:05:26 PM)
Comment: one more question why is Roman starting over Goldson? Roman makes zero plays and actually had quite a few breakdowns in coverage last year. the free-safety is supposed to make plays and picks, i.e. hanks in the 90's. it's funny nolan gives him his job back after getting injured but doesn't do the same for Smith, double standard?

Posted By: vince (11/08/2008 5:59:19 PM)
Comment: matt can you ask nolan how he expects everyone to believe that this is an open competition for no.1 qb when JTO has gotten 4 times the amount of snaps as Smith with the first team o? ofcourse smith is going to look worse with the number 2's the line and recievers are all practice squad players. Can you ask what him and martz see in JTO that the other what is it 7 teams didn't. i just want Smith given a fare chance.

Posted By: joe, nj (11/08/2008 5:55:46 PM)
Comment: Matt, I must say I am shocked at the "rotation" taken place. It seems Alex is not getting a fair chance to win the job. In you honest opinion, does Alex Smith have a chance to win the starting job of the 2008 49ers?

Posted By: Fred (11/08/2008 5:52:00 PM)
Comment: This is a joke! Alex Smith is a good qb. Year 1, bad team. Year 2, decent year. Year 3, injury Year 4 Released? Year 5 Starting QB for the Dolphins!

Posted By: sandip (11/08/2008 5:50:27 PM)
Comment: aaron rodgers looks fantastic tonight in preseason game #1. He's got presence, confidence, patience, quickness, arm-strength, accuracy, short/intermediate/long throws down. Oh why why why did we pick Alex Smith. More importantly, how did we end up with such a lousy support system (coaches/players) around Smith such that he never got a chance to gain confidence and pick up the aforementioned intangibles. WHYYYYYYY??? Seriously it is so hard being a niner-fan right now.

Posted By: iLL49er (11/08/2008 5:46:54 PM)
Comment: Matt, Can someone please ask Nolan this simple question....why not admit that Mike Martz makes the final decision on the qb? Why can't Nolan just say "Hey, martz will make the decision when he's ready....end of story" Why go through this whole charade??? Also, Matt please get tough on Nolan about why he's been quoted many times as saying "Alex Smith is 7-5 in his last 12 healthy starts" but YET after clearly saying alex smith has a winning record when healthy..why put him through all this? Why isn't the starting qb spot his!!!!!?!? Matt, are you as confused as the rest of us???? Why won't NOLAN just say that it is not his decision rather than looking like a fool with his round about contradicting daily answers???

Posted By: SS (11/08/2008 5:46:23 PM)
Comment: Is Smith pressing?